NAPF appoints chairs of DC and DB Councils

The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) has appointed the chairs of its two new policy-making councils.

Lesley Williams (pictured), group pensions director at Whitbread, has been elected chair of the Defined Contribution (DC) Council and Robert Brown, senior investment consultant at Towers Watson, has been elected chair of the Defined Benefit (DB) Council.

Williams and Brown will take up their new positions at NAPF’s annual general meeting on 18 October 2013.

The appointments follow the NAPF’s decision last year to revamp its two main policy-making councils by replacing the Retirement Policy Council and Investment Policy Council with the DB Council and DC Council.

The NAPF has restructured its councils to better reflect the pensions industry and create a clearer focus on DC pensions in its policy work.

Mark Hyde Harrison, chairman of the NAPF, said: “It is gratifying that the Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit Councils are in the capable hands of two such experienced individuals and I am confident they will both expertly lead the new councils in facing the challenges of the pensions industry over the next two years.”

Williams added: “This is a challenging but exciting time to continue to strengthen the NAPF’s involvement in shaping DC pensions policy, and I’m very pleased to be taking this new role.

“Auto-enrolment is a massive change that will create millions of new savers, so we need to get DC right.”

Brown said: “I look forward to serving the industry in this capacity at a time when the range and complexity of challenges facing pension funds has never been greater.”